Suggestions for Law Changes

Thoughts of a thinker

The International Rugby Board's main job is determining the Laws by which the game is played. They will be looking at Laws again in November for changes to be introduced next year. In preparing for changes they receive suggestions from member nations.

It is a serious responsibility. Rugby is played the way it is played because the Laws are what they are. Change the Laws and you change the game.

Alan Zondagh, great thinker on the game, a former top player and top coach, has some suggestions which he put into his column in Die Burger, a South African daily.

This may prompt readers to make suggestions for law changes.

Here are his suggestions:

1. Use it or lose it

The "use it or lose it" principle should apply to all aspects of play. The team in possession has the opportunities to keep the ball alive. All the referee has to watch is to see that the defenders do not do the wrong thing in killing the ball. If there is no infringement and the ball goes dead, the scrum should go to the defenders.

This may well encourage players to stay on their feet, keep the ball alive, pass before contact and so get more flow in the game.

2. The tackle

This is the area of play which causes most stress for players, coaches and spectators. It is hard to apply the law consistently, as many things happen in a matter of seconds.

Let's have an off-side line immediately if the tackler and the ball-carrier go to ground. The ball could be the off-side line from touch-line to touch-line.

This would make it easier for the tackler and the ball-carrier to carry out their duties and will also get rid of the "lazy runners".

At the same time we need to make the tackle an area of greater competition so as to get more players involved in the tackle and so create more space on the field.

3. Line-out

The Laws at the line-out can be further simplified.

To avoid making the referee count the players, one could simply say that a line-out must have at least two players and after that as many as possible as long as the line-out takes place between five and fifteen metres.

That is one option. Another option: To give the backs more space it may even be possible to require all forwards to be in the line-out, as happens at the scrum. Then only players in the line-out are allowed to compete for the ball and nobody is allowed to charge up from the backs.

4. Wheeling the scrum

Let the scrum wheel and play continue. It is a good attacking weapon and will reduce the number of rescrums.

5. Penalty kick to touch

Kicking a penalty into touch and then driving from the line-out has become boring.

The law could be changed to allow you to retain the throw-in at a line-out only if the penalty kick is from your own half. If you do it from your opponents' half, they throw in.

That may encourage teams to find other means of attacking.

6. Quick throw-in

At present a team throwing in quickly must throw in straight, which is hard to police. There is no contest at a quick throw-in and the thrower should be allowed to harrow the ball backwards to a team-mate.

7. Tap kick

Players often tap a penalty in order to get another ten metres and so improve the chances of kicking a goal.

This could be eliminated by not allowing a kick at goal from a penalty advanced 10 metres.

8. Coming and going

Play the game in four quarters of 20 minutes each. Coaches may substitute players - the tactical thing - only during breaks.

That will mean that there will be no substitutions during the last twenty minutes.

Only replacements for injuries, including bleeding, will be allowed at other times.

It may also be a good time for the IRB to reconsider the number of substitutions allowed. At present it is possible to substitute almost half a side. One could limit the number of substitutions to four. Beyond four, the only changes would be replacements, that is for injury.